


Masquerading

by disapparater



Series: Halloweens [6]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Costume Parties & Masquerades, Halloween, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-28
Updated: 2013-10-28
Packaged: 2017-12-30 18:48:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1022160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disapparater/pseuds/disapparater
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco and Harry attend a masquerade ball.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Masquerading

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [day six](http://hd-writers.livejournal.com/257734.html) of hd_writers [Tricks for Treats](http://hd-writers.livejournal.com/253604.html) using all three prompts.

Harry was taking far too long and Draco was bored.

While he waited for Harry to get ready he absent-mindedly played with one of the dangling paper bats on the hallway sideboard. It had been him who had suggested some alternative and craft-based decorations, rather than the typical carved pumpkins that Harry was so fond of. After finding Luna in his basement glueing things to his cats, Draco had slowly been encouraged by her to try it himself. He liked it, but he still hadn't told her that. He was pretty sure she knew anyway.

Draco had allowed Harry a couple of carved pumpkins out on the doorstep, but inside was all Draco. He'd stuck some small branches into the top of an uncarved pumpkin and used orange ribbon to hang some paper bats off of them. It was far too easy, really, but it looked nice. He'd also experimented with painting a few pumpkins white, but afterwards hadn't known what he'd been thinking, so had just shoved them under the sideboard in the hallway.

When Dom jumped up on the sideboard and also began hitting at the bats, Draco smiled. The cats weren't strictly allowed on tables and counters, but Draco had never had the heart to admonish them for it. Harry showered them with affection, but also did the disciplining. Draco showed his love for the animals by letting them get away with anything—including sleeping on his arse all night, on a couple of occasions.

Once Dom had got bored and wandered off, Draco glanced at the clock. They were going to be late.

“Are you ready yet?” he yelled up the stairs at Harry.

“Almost!”

Draco didn't understand what was taking him so long; Harry had been so excited about this year's Halloween party that he'd been prepared for it for over a month.

After a year of improving Slytherin-Gryffindor relations—slightly—Pansy had relinquished control of this year's Halloween event to Luna, a neutral party, with the plan to have all of both Draco's and Harry's friends attending. Luna, in true Luna style, had decided to host a masquerade ball. But not a normal masquerade ball, of course.

Eventually, Harry came bounding down the stairs looking pleased as punch, which was an odd look for a vampire. Harry's cloak trailed behind him as he jumped the last two steps to land in front of Draco.

“Ready?”

“Yep.” Harry grinned. “If we're Apparating straight there, we should put our masks on now—as much as I love your devil outfit, no one can know who you are.”

“It won't matter once we're in the ballroom, Harry.”

“I know, but it's still more fun this way. Please?”

“Fine, but before we leave, come here.” Draco gripped the cord tying Harry's gothic cloak together at the neck and pulled him in close. “We won't get to do this all night, so make it good.” And Draco kissed Harry. He made it leisurely, but with want and need fuelling every movement of their lips. When their mouths opened and Draco's tongue slipped over Harry's, Draco almost pulled back in shock. Instead he managed to extract himself from the kiss with practised ease.

“Is _that_ what you've been sucking on all day?” Draco asked. “Blood flavoured lollipops?” Draco had noticed Harry eating a lot of lollies that day, but figured it was because he'd already run out of gumdrop ghosts.

“I had to get into character!”

This time, as Harry spoke, Draco knew what to look for and noticed the tell-tale redness of Harry's tongue. He wished he'd noticed that before he'd contracted the tangy taste of metal in his mouth.

“You're an odd one, Potter.” Despite his words—and the taste—Draco leaned in to kiss Harry again.

“Masks on!” Harry happily announced once they were done.

Draco pulled on his red devil mask and watched through the large eye holes as Harry adorned his vampire mask.

“Let's go, Dracula.” Draco held out his hand.

Harry took it. “Okay, Lucifer.”

-

The ballroom was impressive. As Draco and Harry walked up the hall towards the large open double doors, they saw an array of people in costume already mingling and helping themselves to the masses of food and drink around the room. The decorations were extensive and elaborate.

Draco looked over at Harry to share in the awe, but as they walked over the threshold and into the room, Draco instantly forgot who the person beside him was.

He had known this was going to happen, but it was a strange experience all the same. Luna had taken care to prepare the spells surrounding the room, so that anyone who entered would, while in the room, fail to remember who anyone they had known was dressed as. The spell made it impossible for people to recognise anyone and refrained people from revealing their true identities to others. She had taken her duty to allow and encourage the Slytherins and Gryffindors to socialise freely more seriously than anyone could have imagined.

Knowing that Harry was here somewhere, but not knowing who he was, Draco shrugged and made for the drinks table. There he met a fairy and a grim reaper, who he exchanged pleasantries with. It was bizarre, because although he knew a woman would _typically_ dress up as a fairy, the spell seemed to be making it impossible to determine even gender, despite all the costumes being clear. Draco was hugely impressed. Despite the impossibility of the task, Draco immediately began trying to figure out who was who.

It was two hours and three drinks later, having spoken to a skeleton, three ghosts, two cats, an angel, four pirates and a pumpkin, that Draco gave up. Tired of making small talk with, essentially, strangers, Draco decided to shrink back from the crowd and watch from a distance instead.

He refilled his glass and found a comfortable piece of wall to lean against. People were dancing and laughing and loose. It was wonderful to see how much people could let go when they didn't know who anyone was. Personally, Draco didn't feel the same. He felt a step further away from these people for not knowing who they were, not a step closer.

Draco also felt lonely. These people were his friends, but currently, he didn't remember that. He wanted Harry to be standing here with him, speculating on who would dress up as a human-sized pumpkin and why there were so many pirates.

Thinking about Harry led Draco to thinking about the last time he remembered seeing Harry—in their hallway, sans masks, kissing.

And all of a sudden, Draco knew what Harry was dressed as. He didn't remember—he _couldn't_ remember—but if Harry had tasted of blood, it had to be because he hadn't been eating normal lollipops all day, but blood flavoured lollipops. Harry had been ridiculously excited about this party, of course he would have been taking his role playing crazily seriously.

Harry had to have come as a vampire.

Draco watched the crowd with new eyes. He scoured the crowd for vampire costumes. In ten minutes he had spotted three. One was over by the punch bowl snogging Medusa, so Draco ruled him out—Parselmouth or no, Harry wouldn't snog random strangers. The other two were both dancing, something Draco could not imagine Harry doing voluntarily, but not matter how much he looked he could not see any other vampires. One of those dancing vampires had to be Harry.

Eventually, one of the vampires must have got tired, because he broke away and went to get some refreshments. Draco slowly made his way over.

“Good party, huh?” he asked possibly-Harry.

“Yeah! I'm having loads of fun. Fuck knows who I'm dancing with, but then again, who the fuck cares?”

“Too fucking right.” said Draco. Harry wouldn't normally swear quite so much, but with his level of excitement, it wouldn't be impossible. Draco had to be sure. “Gumdrop ghost?” He held out the bowl to the vampire.

“No, thanks.” The stranger instead grabbed a handful of jelly slugs. “I'm going back out to the dance floor. You coming?”

“Soon,” replied Draco.

That decided it—Harry would _never_ turn down a gumdrop ghost.

Returning to his spot at the back of the room, Draco watched the vampire he was now sure was Harry. He was still on the dance floor, dancing freely and openly with everyone, but not getting inappropriately close. Draco couldn't help but wonder if Harry was thinking about him, if he wanted to be dancing with Draco.

At times, between songs or in musical lulls, Harry could been seen talking to the people around him. Several times Draco saw him throw his head back in laughter, obviously enjoying himself. Harry was never this open usually. It was strange, but nice to see.

After a while of watching, Draco had figured out why Harry had been so excited about the party. Under his mask and with the aid of the spell, no one knew who he was; he wasn't 'Harry Potter' with the mask on. While everyone else was enjoying the freedom of not knowing who others were, Harry was enjoying the freedom no one knowing who he was. He may have survived death as a baby and defeated a dark lord in his teens, but it seemed nothing gave Harry more assurance than a mask.

Eventually Harry tired and he wandered over to some seats by the dance floor. Moving quickly, Draco intercepted him.

“I've been watching you for most of the night. I've loved seeing you dance.” He accompanied his words with a stroke to the vampire's forearm.

“Er, thanks, but I'm—I'm seeing someone, so...”

As much as Draco had been sure before, hearing a typically Harry bumbled rejection fortified Draco.

“I know.”

And before Harry could continue to protest, Draco pressed their mouths together as much as the small gaps in their masks would allow. When the familiar, and now not as shocking, taste of metal was felt on his tongue, Draco gripped Harry even tighter. Not wanting to freak Harry out too much, Draco let go again quickly.

“You had better be Draco,” Harry said as soon as their lips separated.

Draco laughed. “I miss you. Let's go home.”

“Okay.” Harry didn't seem too sure of himself, because he followed his acquiescence with, “But only if you're Draco.”

Being unable to confirm that for Harry because of the spell, Draco pulled Harry close and Apparated them home.

“It's me,” he could finally say. “It's Draco.”


End file.
